The invention relates generally to retractable leash handle assemblies. More particularly, one embodiment of the invention is directed to a leash handle assembly having an integrated spool assembly rotatably mounted in a housing. The housing includes an ergonomically designed grip. The leash handle assembly also includes a trigger adapted for intermittently inhibiting the spool assembly from rotating, and a dual-position switch adapted for locking the trigger in an actuated position.
A driving motivation in the field of retractable pet leashes is the ability to enable a person having a pet tethered to a leash cord to fluidly adapt to changing spatial relationships between the person and the pet. A housing typically encloses a mechanism for automatically retracting the leash into the housing. Retractable leash assemblies generally operate in two modes. A first mode provides a spring loaded tension on a retractable leash cord. The spring-loaded tension causes the leash cord to retract as slack develops, extend as the owner allows the pet to roam at a further distance, and stops the leash from dragging on the ground. A second locking mode removes the spring-loaded tension and stops the leash from either retracting or extending.
One disadvantage of traditional retractable pet leash assemblies is that the switching mechanism for selecting between a spring-loaded tension mode and a locked mode of operation is somewhat clumsy to operate. Some prior systems require a constant force to be applied to a braking mechanism to maintain the leash in a locked mode. Such a mechanism may cause the owner to develop hand fatigue. In other conventional retractable pet leash assemblies, the locked mode is maintained by applying a locking pin to the brake mechanism. Quite often such leashes require the use of both hands, or require difficult single-handed motions to transit between the locked and spring-loaded tension modes of operation.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a more ergonomic retractable pet leash assembly that easily transits between a locked mode of operation and a spring loaded tension mode of operation.
This and other objects will be apparent with the following description of the invention.
The invention remedies deficiencies in conventional leash handle assemblies by providing in one embodiment a leash handle assembly having a housing with an ergonomically designed grip portion, a spool assembly, a trigger assembly and a dual-position switch. The grip portion is adapted for enabling a user to grasp the leash handle assembly. The grip portion may be fabricated with the housing as a single unit, or alternatively the grip portion and the housing may be fabricated as separate units and then fastened together. The spool assembly rotatably mounts within the housing and is adapted for attaching to and winding a leash.
The trigger is mounted to the grip portion. Actuating the trigger inhibits the spool assembly from rotating. Alternatively, in a response to being in a released position, the trigger enables rotation of the spool assembly. Optionally, the spool assembly is spring biased to retract a leash in response to the trigger being in the released position and an external force on a leash being below a preset spring constant threshold. A feature of the trigger is that it may be operated with a single finger, while leaving the rest of the hand to grasp the grip portion.
The dual-position switch mounts on the housing and operates in a first position to lock the trigger in an actuated position, and in a second position to enable the trigger to freely operate. According to a feature of the invention, the dual-position switch is located proximate to the grip portion, thereby enabling a user to actuate the dual-position switch with the same hand that grasps the leash handle and actuates the trigger.
According to a further embodiment, the spool assembly is adapted retracting a leash into the housing assembly and extending a leash out of the housing. Additionally, the leash handle assembly further includes a leash guide mounted inside of the housing for guiding a leash into and out of the housing at an angle that reduces frictional wear on the leash.
In another embodiment, the housing assembly has a front-facing surface with an orifice through which a leash can pass, and the leash handle assembly includes an anti-wear ring. The anti-wear ring mounts in the orifice to further reduce the frictional wear on a leash. According to one embodiment the anti-wear ring is formed from a lubricious material such as, nylon or delrin.
According to another embodiment, the leash handle assembly includes a slack reduction feature. According to this feature, the spool assembly includes a spring biasing mechanism for biasing the spool assembly such that in response to the movable trigger being in a released position, the spool assembly tends to operate to retract a leash. The force required to extend a leash in this mode of operation is dependent on various factors, including the spring constant of the spring bias mechanism. An advantage of this feature is it tends to prevent extended portions of a leash from dragging on the ground.
Another feature of the invention provides mechanisms for reducing harmful stress that an external force on a leash, such as that caused by tethered animal, can cause on a user""s wrist. One way of reducing the harmful stress is by reducing the tendency of a user""s wrist to twist and bend in response to externally exerted forces on a leash. Reduced twisting is achieved by the invention by directing the external forces through the leash handle assembly and along an axis which is co-linear with a longitudinal axis of the users forearm.
According to one embodiment, the grip portion describes an arc having a midpoint and a center point. The leash housing assembly includes a front-facing surface having an orifice with a center through which a leash passes during retraction and extension, wherein the center of the orifice is positioned along a line that passes proximate to the center point and the midpoint of the arc described by the grip portion. Such an arrangement reduces the tendencies of the leash handle assembly to deflect in a vertical direction in response to the exertion of an external force on a leash, and thus reduces stress on a user""s wrist.
According to another embodiment, the grip portion has an elongated cross-section characterized by a length and a width, wherein the length is greater than the width, and wherein the length extends along an axis that passes through the spool assembly. Having such an elongated cross-section enables the grip to reduce tendencies of the leash handle assembly to rotate about an axis normal to a plane of the elongated cross-section, and thus further reduces stress on a user""s wrist. According to an additional feature of the invention, the grip portion is formed from a hard plastic and includes an elastomeric coating molded over the hard plastic to provide a softer, higher friction grip. The elastomeric coating further reduces the tendency of the leash handle assembly to rotate in a person""s hand.
Optionally, the housing assembly includes a bottom surface having one or more protuberances that act as stabilizing feet. The protuberances are adapted to enable the leash handle assembly to be placed in an upright position on a surface.
In further embodiments, the invention provides additional features of a leash handle, along with methods for providing those features and the above discussed features.